West Indian Subterranean Termite, Heterotermessp. (Insecta: Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae)1 Rudolf H
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EENY127 West Indian Subterranean Termite, Heterotermessp. (Insecta: Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae)1 Rudolf H. Scheffrahn and Nan-Yao Su2 Introduction In 1995, a species of Heterotermes was collected from a house in Miami, Florida. This was the first record of Heterotermes is a structure-infesting termite genus that Heterotermes in the eastern United States. It has subse- accounts for a significant proportion of the damage quently been collected from two other residential locations attributed to subterranean termites wherever it occurs. and two warehouses in the same Miami neighborhood. One Three species have been reported from the West Indies infestation is only one-half mile from Biscayne Bay. Because including H. cardini (Snyder), H. convexinotatus (Snyder), of its similarity to Heterotermes collected in the West and H. tenuis (Hagen). Insufficient descriptions, poor Indies, the predominantly West Indian migrant population museum specimens, and lack of diagnostic characters place of the neighborhood, and proximity to the coast, there is the identity of these species in doubt and underscore the little doubt that these termites were accidentally introduced need for a taxonomic revision of the genus. Therefore, we from the West Indies. As with Coptotermes, Heterotermes have not assigned species names to any Heterotermes from can infest boats. In 1995, a boat docked in Grand Cay- the West Indies nor to the species discovered in Florida. man Island contained a thriving on-board infestation of General information related to the life history, damage, and Heterotermes. management of Reticulitermes is applicable to Heterotermes and can be obtained from our sister publication on Reticu- Miami is the only known locality in tropical America litermes. This report highlights important distinguishing where both Reticulitermes and Heterotermes coincide. characteristics of Heterotermes. Elsewhere in the world, these two widely distributed genera are geographically isolated. Reticulitermes usually inhabits Distribution subtropical to cold temperate climates, while Hetero- Heterotermes is endemic to most of the world’s tropics termes, with the exception of a few species, is its tropical and all of tropical America. This genus has been recorded counterpart. from almost every island in the Bahamas and West Indies but, strangely, is not endemic to Florida. One exceptional species, H. aureus (Snyder), is distributed throughout the lower deserts of northwestern Mexico, southern California, and southern Arizona. 1. This document is EENY127, one of a series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date April 2000. Revised December 2005. Reviewed February 2021. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 2. Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, professor and Nan-Yao Su, professor, Entomology and Nematology Department, Ft. Lauderdale REC, UF/IFAS Extension. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Figure 1. Heterotermes subterranean termite infestation sites in Miami, Florida. Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS Description and Identification Superficially, soldiers of Heterotermes resemble those of Reticulitermes. When viewed from above, both genera have Figure 3. Heterotermes subterranean termite soldier with mandibles in rectangular-shaped heads and no obvious distinguishing resting position (top) and fully closed (bottom). features except that the soldiers of Heterotermes are smaller Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS than those of Reticulitermes. Microscopic examination of the mandibles reveals diagnostic differences. The mandibles of Heterotermes soldiers are slender and slightly curved near the tip, while the mandibles of Reticulitermes soldiers are thicker and curved at both their bases and tips. This configuration allows Heterotermes soldiers to cross both mandibles when closed. Reticulitermes can barely overlap the tips of their mandibles when fully closed. Heterotermes soldiers tend to be more aggressive when provoked and constitute a larger proportion of the termite colony than soldiers of Reticulitermes species. Figure 4. Heterotermes subterranean termite soldiers and workers. Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS The alates of Heterotermes are about the same size as those of Reticulitermes flavipes (total length with wings about 9-10 mm). When compared to body size, the wings of Heterotermes are proportionally longer than the wings of Reticulitermes species. The upper body surfaces of Heterotermes alates are pale yellow-brown to orange-brown, while those of R. flavipes and R. virginicus are dark brown to black. The bodies of R. hageni are brown. Aside from body color, the wing characters of Heterotermes are useful to distinguish them from Reticulitermes. In Heterotermes, Figure 2. Dorsal views of subterranean termite soldiers. Coptotermes the wing texture is smooth, the membrane surface opaque formosanus (left), Heterotermes (center), and Reticulitermes flavipes and yellow-brown, and the margin fringed with tiny hairs. (right), all from Dade County, Florida. In Reticulitermes, the wing texture is creased with vein-like Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS patterns, the membrane clear, and the margin without hairs. West Indian Subterranean Termite, Heterotermessp. (Insecta: Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) 2 Damage Like Reticulitermes, damage resulting from a Heterotermes infestation can become severe if left untreated. Subtle differences in foraging behavior and biology, however, do exist. Heterotermes seems to be better adapted to dry environments than Reticulitermes. Heterotermes often forage into wood members that are distant from moisture sources and workers transport little or no free water to feeding sites. Even driftwood lying on dry, hot, and sandy beaches is prone to attack by Heterotermes. Dispersal flights, foraging tubes, or damage (often shredded and dry in appearance) are usually the first indications of an infestation. Heterotermes foraging tubes are lighter in Figure 5. Heterotermes subterranean termite alates in lateral (top) and color, narrower, and more circular in cross-section than dorsal views. Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS those of Reticulitermes or Coptotermes. Like their foraging tubes, the accumulation of fecal spotting on the surface of Heterotermes-infested wood is also a beige or cream color. In structural infestations, Heterotermes will sometimes openly build very narrow free-hanging tubes from ceilings, shelves, and overhangs. Figure 6. Right fore wing of Heterotermes (top) and Reticulitermes alates (bottom), subterranean termites. Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS Figure 8. Heterotermes subterranean termite alates congregating beneath a rock before swarm. Figure 7. Close-up of Heterotermes subterranean termite wing margin Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS showing microscopic hairs. Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS Life History Heterotermes and Reticulitermes live in diffuse nests in the soil and share many similarities in colony development and behavior. Some studies suggest that Heterotermes colonies have smaller foraging territories but greater colony density per given area than those of Reticulitermes. Heterotermes dispersal flights occur at dusk or at night when the rainy season commences in May or June. Occasional smaller flights can occur from August through November. Rainfall usually precedes flight activity. Before flights, alates con- gregate in “staging” areas near the soil surface or in wood galleries above ground. Figure 9. Damage and fecal spotting by Heterotermes subterranean termites to wood molding, Miami, Florida. West Indian Subterranean Termite, Heterotermessp. (Insecta: Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) 3 Figure 12. Heterotermes subterranean termite foraging tube dropping from living room ceiling, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS Figure 10. Damage and fecal spotting by Heterotermes subterranean termites in dry framing, Miami, Florida. Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS Figure 13. Heterotermes subterranean termite foraging tube on a sheltered bench, Cat Island, Bahamas. Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS Management The same management strategies employed for Reticuli- termes should be considered for Heterotermes. Preliminary research suggests that baiting for Heterotermes requires more time than for Reticulitermes or Coptotermes. Given the small size of Heterotermes soldiers and workers, they are apt to penetrate smaller cracks in concrete and masonry that are too narrow for foragers of other subterranean termites to enter. Figure 11. Heterotermes subterranean termite damage showing dry and shredded appearance of wood, Miami, Florida. Selected References Credits: Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, UF/IFAS Jones, S.C. 1990. Delineation of Heterotermes aureus (Isop- Pest Status tera: Rhinotermitidae)